Nick Johnson makes painless return to NY Yankees lineup

Al Messerschmidt/Getty ImagesYankees designated hitter Nick Johnson returned to action on Monday after missing four games with lower back stiffness.

TAMPA, Fla. -- The first Nick Johnson Injury Crisis of 2010 ended with little fanfare on Monday afternoon when the Yankees' designated hitter went 0-for-2 with a walk in his team's 7-5 victory against the Phillies.

"Things felt fine," said Johnson, who battled stiffness in his lower back. "No grabs. No nothing. I loosened up before. Felt nothing."

Johnson said he's dealt with the issue by sticking to exercises designed to keep his muscles loose, especially between at-bats. On Monday, he rode the exercise bike and threw medicine balls to stay limber.

Because Joe Girardi wants Johnson to develop a between at-bats routine -- important for those who have had success playing as full-time designated hitters -- the Yankees manager said he might play Johnson in three straight games before giving him a break.

The scare began on Thursday when Johnson, for reasons he couldn't explain, wore the wrong shoes to pregame batting practice. With this a protective artificial turf covering the area around home plate, Johnson typically takes swings wearing sneakers.

Instead, he wore cleats. When one got caught in the artificial turf, he felt stiffness in his back. Both insisted that Johnson wouldn't have missed time had he felt his back acting up during the regular season: "Would have out on a little red-hit, and go get 'em," he said.

Instead, the Yankees took precautions, causing plenty of fan anxiety about the injury-prone free agent addition.

Said Girardi: "Because of the history, the red flags go up, which is understandable."